Yay, first place! (but not for long)

January 21, 2008 2:30 PM

The Icycle challenge is nearing its end, and so far only 7 riders have scored. Surely we have more hearty soles willing to risk minor appendages for a MetaFilter bike sticker, and glory?
posted by Chuckles to MetaFilter gatherings at 2:30 PM (14 comments total)

You're doing distance × degrees below zero, right? I would have racked up a shipload this morning, lands sakes.
posted by Wolfdog at 2:36 PM on January 21

Didn't know about the contest. Thanks for the post.
posted by sequential at 3:03 PM on January 21

Yep d x T for T<0..    I think an improved formula is required, if we do this again.

d x e^-T/10 is looking pretty good. The scale factor becomes:

         T =   10      5      0     -5    -10    -15    -20exp(-T/10) = 0.37   0.61   1.00   1.65   2.72   4.48   7.39

posted by Chuckles at 3:11 PM on January 21

What do the bike stickers actually say? They're illegible on the cafepress page.
posted by whir at 4:34 PM on January 21

I would so do this if i didn't live where it never freezes.
Usually I'm happy about that.

Can we do something where we get bonus love by riding if it's slightly chilly, or maybe in the dark?
posted by cccorlew at 8:04 PM on January 21

i have concluded that petrale soles are heartier than dover soles.
posted by bruce at 9:09 PM on January 21

Hmm, I did a few hours of mountain biking on the weekend, and it was, erm, about 30°C, so say 86°F or so. Do I win? Ah, now I remember why I haven't entered.
posted by markr at 10:43 PM on January 21

Since temp was just at freezing on my lunchtime ride, I put my mileage in for today.
posted by turbodog at 11:27 PM on January 21

I didn't enter because there's no chance in hell of winning in London, no matter how often you ride - it just doesn't get that cold. We should get points for riding in the wind and rain instead.
posted by ComfySofa at 3:10 AM on January 22

What do the bike stickers actually say? They're illegible on the cafepress page.

Sorry, cafepress sort of limits how you can present images; Here is what I use as the "front-end" of the store, and here is direct link to a detail of that sticker.
posted by mikepop at 6:04 AM on January 22

I should add that the reason that you can't see the details on the cafepress page is because I duplicate the design a bunch of times on one standard bumper-sized sticker, so when you buy one sticker you actually get a bunch of bike stickers you can cut out and share. CafePress doesn't have a bike-sized sticker option so that was the strategy I went with.
posted by mikepop at 6:09 AM on January 22

I commute from Ossington to University every day in Toronto... but that's going to be a pretty tiny score, no matter how cold it gets.
posted by anthill at 7:03 PM on January 23

That's at least 6km/day (more than 120 km per month). Not half bad, and adding a name to the list would be good..
posted by Chuckles at 8:58 PM on January 23

Final results for the icycle challenge are in:

1) sequential -2458.64
2) lonefrontranger -2005.37
3) Chuckles -1792.06
4) mikepop -1716.28
5) isopraxis -568.10
6) hydrophonic -475.53
7) GalaxieFiveHundred -265.19
8) ErWenn -162.64
9) everichon -134.99
10) PercussivePaul -82.60
11) rockychrysler -48.28
12) epersonae -44.70


1) lonefrontranger 032:25:00
2) Chuckles 018:33:01
3) mikepop 016:20:46
4) sequential 014:35:37
5) hydrophonic 011:54:29
6) migurski 009:47:27
7) JeffL 008:54:28
8) smich 008:12:00
9) tribaby 004:58:00
10) PercussivePaul 004:55:00
11) mathowie 004:10:26
12) readery 002:45:00
13) fijiwriter 002:18:28
14) notsnot 002:05:30
15) mstange56 002:00:00
16) epersonae 001:35:00
17) defeated 001:05:29
18) skynxnex 000:55:19
19) turbodog 000:45:00
20) ErWenn 000:44:00
21) dmt 000:40:00
22) horseblind 000:33:16
23) Lucinda 000:30:00
24) bonobo 000:15:43
25) rockychrysler 000:15:00

12 participants in the main challenge isn't too bad, but I know there are more of you out there!

Congratulations to sequential on the deepest freeze, and lonefrontranger for 32 hours in the saddle!
posted by Chuckles at 2:39 PM on February 1